Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Resident Doctors Begin Nationwide Strike over Colleague's Abduction

POSTED ON August 27, 2024 •   Health & Wellness      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos, demand the release of the abducted doctor

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced a seven-day warning strike over the abduction of their colleague, Ganiyat Popoola, who has been held captive for eight months.

The President of NARD, Dele Abdullahi, announced the strike during a virtual emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the association at midnight on Monday.

“The strike is total, and there will be no concessions or emergency care during this period. All centres, both federal and state, should ensure full compliance, even as proper handover of patients to consultants should be done,” Mr Abdullahi said.

He noted that any centre that failed to comply with the strike directive would be fined heavily and denied participation in the forthcoming NARD annual general meeting .

Members of the association across the country had earlier staged a protest march in all tertiary hospitals to demand the release of Mrs Popoola.

Mrs Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted in December 2023 alongside her husband and nephew.

While her husband has been released after a ransom was reportedly paid, Mrs Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded a N60 million ransom to release the doctor’s husband.

On 14 August, NARD issued a 26 August ultimatum for the release of the victim.

At a press briefing in Abuja, the association decried the government’s “inaction” over the abduction.

It resolved to organise a national press conference and a nationwide protest march in all tertiary hospitals to demand Mrs Popoola’s release.

When the incident happened, Mr Abdullahi said the association notified all security agencies, the federal government, and the Kaduna State Government but has seen no significant action.

He noted that the association communicated its decision to the Nigerian Medical Association, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Kaduna State Government.

“It’s appalling that in a country where we want healthcare providers to stay, one of us has been kidnapped for over seven months and 17 days without any form of relief or directive on how the rescue mission will proceed,” Abdullahi said.

READ ALSO
WHO Unveils First Global Guidelines for Managing Sickle Cell Disease in Pregnancy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has introduced its inaugural global guideline for managing sickl...

READ ALSO
NDLEA Alerts Parents: Watch for Suspicious Snacks in Children's Bags
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 15, 2025 0

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a serious warning to parents, advising t...

READ ALSO
Health Council Workers Face Salary Delays Due to Federal Funding Cuts
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 11, 2025 0

More than 1,500 health professionals associated with the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria hav...

READ ALSO
WHO Declares Mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 11, 2025 0

The World Health Organization has stated that the ongoing rise in mpox cases qualifies as a Public H...

READ ALSO
Students mobilise for Malaria Contest with N1b Geneith health
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

In an effort to tackle one of Nigeria’s deadliest diseases, Geneith Pharmaceuticals Ltd has la...

READ ALSO
Dangote Advocate end to health tourism, Emphasize local drug- production
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President and chief executive officer of Dangote groups, Aliko Dangote, has called...

READ ALSO
Bill Gates Advocates for Improved Health Care in Nigeria Amid Budget Constraints
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 5, 2025 0

US billionaire Bill Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, expressed that Nigeria’s health bu...

READ ALSO
Edo Faces Diphtheria Outbreak, Two Confirmed Deaths
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 4, 2025 0

EDO, Nigeria (NAN) - A diphtheria outbreak has been confirmed in Edo State, resulting in two deaths....

OUR CHANNELS:

Nigeria's Gemstone Potential: A Deep Dive into 10 Rare Minerals and Their Regions of Origin
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Nigeria is making waves with a revolutionary $400 million Foreign Direct Investment dedicated to cre...


IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...


EFCC Charges Businessman, Company with $75,000 Fraud
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

A businessman, Peter Otomewu, along with his company, Pebeto Enerji Limited, was brought before the...


Osimhen Willing to Join Manchester United for Under £200,000 a Week
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Victor Osimhen is reportedly willing to accept a weekly wage of just under £200,000 at Manches...


Trump Announces Iran-Israel Ceasefire Deal, Tehran Denies Formal Agreement
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a “comple...


French Police Arrest 12 over Alleged Drugging of Women at Music Festival
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

French police have arrested 12 individuals suspected of drugging female festivalgoers during the ann...


NATO Warns Iran Against Nuclear Weapon Development Amid Rising Tensions
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

In a renewed effort to curb escalating violence in the Middle East, the North Atlantic Treaty Organi...


Mertens Announces Retirement from Football, Cites Age and Fatigue
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Belgian football star Dries Mertens has officially announced his retirement from professional footba...


Qatar Closes Airspace After Iranian Strike on U.S. Base in Doha
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

In a swift move to safeguard lives and property, the government of Qatar has closed its airspace fol...


Tinubu Launches National Mechanised Farming Programme to Tackle Food Insecurity
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

In a bid to combat food insecurity and encourage youth participation in farming, President Bola Tinu...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu